Friday, January 30, 2015

In this earlier post I shared my new approach to stripping away class. As a quick refresher, instead of choosing a class, players choose a Focus for their character at first level and each time they level up. Here are the base stats for all starting characters, and the details of each Focus:

Default Alignment:

Neutral

Luck Save:

15

Attack Bonus:

+1

Parry AC:

+2

Press Attack:

+1 AB / -4 AC

Defensive Attack:

-4 AB / +1 AC

Skill Points:

3

Minimum HP:

5

Unarmored:

12

Base Movement:

40’

Choose one at first level and when leveling up:

Focus

Improvement

HD

Offense:

+1 Attack

D8

Defense:

+1 Luck Save

D10

Specialization:

+2 Skill Points

D6

Magic:

1 Spell Point/Level

D4

Faith:

1 Spell Point/Level

D4

Some thoughts/reasoning/nuts and bolts:

-If a player prefers the basic classes, it's easy to replicate. If they want to just be a Magic-User, they can just take the Magic Focus at every level. However, this does mean they won't improve in saving throws. (Although, it would be easy to just look at how the saving throws improve at each level for each class and apply them as needed, if you'd prefer.)

-If players like to multi-class, this makes it really easy. Just pick whatever Focus you want at each level.

-This system also allows for very specific character ideas that players might want to replicate.

Okay, now onto Titles!

-These are inspired by the titles that go with each level in the 1E Player's Handbook.

-Characters (PCs & NPCs) would use these in the game world to refer to each other. (Whereas, I wouldn't think people would call each other "Fighter" or "Magic-User.")

-Players can use them to try to improve saves or argue for in-game benefits/knowledge above what's provided by taking the Title. ("I think my years as a militiaman would allow me to assess the quality of the fighting men in this village...")

-Whatever Focus is chosen at first level is a defining focus. You get a piece of headgear and a special power appropriate to your first Focus. Both of these charts are taken from The Complete B/X Adventurer. (For the core classes, these areas will be blanked out on the sheets below because they are copied right out of this book. However, the Defensive ones will be shown so you can see what the chart looks like, as I made these up or they are variations of random things I've read over the last few years and the original source is long lost to me.)

Defensive Focus:

(I'm starting with this one so that you can see what the special abilities at first level might look like for the other classes. With the Defensive Focus, you get one at every level!)

When
taking a Defensive Focus at first level, choose from the chart below. If taking this focus after first level, you
may roll randomly to gain the title immediately, or choose one of the
titles. If you choose the title, roll d%. You won’t gain the use of this title until
you are that percentage of XP toward your next level.

1

Arsonist

+1 Fire skill. Once per day you can start a fire just by
thinking about it.

2

Beastmaster

+1 Animals skill. You gain a random animal companion. It is loyal, reasonably intelligent, and if
it survives to your next level, it gains a supernatural ability.

3

Cartographer

+1 Cartography skill. Increase your mapping speed by 25%. You
always have a way of making a map.

4

Charlatan

+1 Fraud skill. Each day you can pretend to be something
you’re not (spellcaster, priest, king, etc.) and temporarily gain the spells
and abilities of that title, occupation or class. Negotiate a % chance of failure with the
Referee, which is checked when your authenticity could be called into
question.

5

Collector

+1 Artifact
skill. You have a random magic item
with d% knowledge of its properties.

6

Dabbler

+1 Magic skill. You gain 1 Magic Point, become Chaotic, and
receive a random 1st level spell. [Gain Read Magic the first time
you receive this title.]

7

Diplomat

+1 Diplomacy
skill. If you parley with an NPC, you
can automatically increase their reaction to you by one step. +1 initiative, and you are surprised less,
in settlements.

8

Dogsbody

+1 Packing skill. You are considered to
have encumbrance one level lower than your actual encumbrance. Eliminate time to put on armor for one
ally.

9

Druid

+1 Paganism skill.
Roll for a random animal form. Once
per day, you may change into this animal.

10

Drummer

+1 Rhythm skill. You increase overland travel speed for the
party by 25%. +1 to reaction rolls for
the party when entering a settlement.

11

Duelist

+1 Fencing
skill. When facing off against a
single, humanoid opponent, if your attack and/or AC is lower, both are raised
to equal that of your opponent. [+1 to Attack/AC against this opponent for
each time this is taken after the first.]

12

Entertainer

+1 Performing skill. Choose a specialty (singing, acting, miming,
storytelling, etc.) You can entertain
in settlements to earn 1d4 sp per hour per size of the settlement, to improve
the morale of hirelings, to improve the reaction of humans, or to heal 1d6 hp
divided amongst companions however you want.

13

Gangrel

+1 Wildlife skill.
You were raised in the wilderness by wild animals. You can attack with your “claws” and teeth
as if they were weapons (1d6 lethal damage). +1 AC if lightly encumbered or less.

14

Guide

+1 Spelunking and Dungeoneering skills. You
have low light vision, gain +1 initiative, and are surprised less when
delving underground.

15

Hedge
Wizard

+1 Herbalism
skill. Each day you can make a potion
with a random 1st level spell.
The potion must be used that day or it will spoil and become
useless. There is a small chance that
the potion will backfire or otherwise be dangerous.

16

Hunter

+1 Hunting skill. Once per day, you can choose a creature or
person that you can track with 100% certainty (unless they have escaped
through supernatural means). You must
have some evidence or information regarding how to begin tracking.

17

Jack-of-all-Trades

Roll an additional time on this table, the Random Skill Table,
and the Previous Occupation table. +1 to random ability score.

18

Quarter-

master

+1 Cooking skill. Once per day, you have the chance to have
any mundane item in your special pack.
In a settlement, you can always find needed mundane items.

19

Ranger

+1 Stealth skill.
When firing into melee, you can choose one ally that you have no chance of
hitting. Choose a favored animal –
this type of animal will never attack you (unless supernaturally forced to)
and you have a chance to befriend it if encountered.

20

Scout

+1 Wilderness Survival skill. While
adventuring in the wilderness you gain +1 to initiative, are surprised less
often, and have low light vision.

This is a randomized skill list (sometimes an entry directs a player to "gain a random skill.") Many of these are inspired by the Goblin Punch skill list, but I've changed it to be more suitable for the setting of LotFP.